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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Peachy's Pantry Spices it up with Tsp spices!

Sweet + Heat = Spice Enlightenment!!!!
Cinnamon-chile set from tsp spices offers fresh flavors in designer packaging – the perfect food gift!  Peachy cannot have a proper pantry without spices!  We are so pleased to kick off our coverage of the fabulous Tsp brand and we started with a bang: Sweet Heat from tsp spices features two flavors that are essential to today’s global kitchens: true cinnamon and ancho chile.  


Used separately or paired together in sensational recipes like Sweet Heat Brownies, these teaspoon packets of organic spices bring fresh-tasting flavor to your food.  The Whom You Know Panel tried them together and separately, but in both cases the cinnamon and ancho chile were greatly loved!



Here is what the panel had to say:


I was very excited to receive the spice kit in the mail last week!  Upon opening I noticed the attention to detail and design.  There is a wrap around the cardboard box explaining that these are culinary spices for chefs , people, campers, travelers and foodies to always have the spice they need on the go and to add to meal at any time.  They are organic pre-measured packets: the "sweet heat" true cinnamon and crushed ancho chile pepper.  They say it's spice enlightenment to make you more adventurous in your cooking.  They are created by two women who are passionate about cooking full-flavored food. They call themselves the cardaMOMS!  These spices are available individually or as boxed sets. It's really the perfect gift for a chef, foodie or hostess!   They recommend putting the spice packets on your boat, bringing them to your vacation house and taking the packets while travelling. Well, the spices couldn't have gone to a better home, because I believe in creative cuisine and pride myself for writing 2 cookbooks about custom blending teas and cooking and baking with various spices. I can tell you these are top quality and I am one of those people that travel with my own tea and accoutrements as well as spices.
My first experiment is with my chai tea blend and I always add cayenne, and the cinnamon cardamom cloves bit this time I just used my chai tea base and added half a packet of both the crush chile and cinnamon to find I reallly enjoyed the blend!  My next recipe is one I shared with my children and they give the honest truth ... They enjoyed the kick of my chile pepper cinnamon brownies!!! My son especially liked the pairing and I used the entire packet of both in this recipe.
I imagine using them together as a rub for chicken pheasant or duck would be equally delicious. I know the next adventure will probably be making a sweet and spicey cajun catfish....I had alot of fun experimenting and this set of spices is definitely my cup of tea.  I would reccomend them to add a recipe card , but if you're not a chef or cook you can always email them with questions and they will happily answer to your questions comments or suggestions at www.tspspices.com


For me it was the best gift for my tea and travel and I know you will enjoy it as well!



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tsp spices - true cinnamon

For those of us who are only an occasional chef in our own kitches, tsp spices solves the conundrum of keeping an assortment of spices in your kitchen and getting to use them up before they go stale and need to be tossed out and replaced.  I don't think I've ever used up a container of spice before its designated expiration date.  The Seasoned Palate's 'tsp spices' has solved this dilemna with their individually-sealed, 1 teaspoon-sized packets of various spices. Cinnamon is one of those spices for which most recipes call for a very small amount of, and usually to get the best flavor, you'd need to track down actual cinnamon sticks.  The true cinammon from 'tsp spices' is a wonderful stand-in.  The aroma of the cinnamon upon opening the packet is fresh and fragrant, the taste is lighter but a truer-to-real cinnamon taste than some of the other ground cinnamon out here.  One of my favorite indulgences at this time of year is spiced mulled apple cider.  Pressed for time, I prepared my apple cider by heating it and then adding a packet of the true cinnamon.  I was amazed at how it transformed the cider into a zesty and invigorating treat.  I'd feel confident adding this to any number of recipes that call for real or ground cinnamon.

tsp spices - crushed ancho chile pepper

This is definitely one of those products that makes you ask, "now why didn't anyone think of that?" or better yet, "why didn't I come up with this idea?"  Beating all of us to the crunch here is 'tsp  spices' from The Seasoned Palate, a collection of pre-sealed packets of spices that are pre-measured in 1-teaspoon sizes.  It's one less step in your cooking or baking needs when you can skip having to measure one more ingredient.
One of the 'tsp spices' that I had the pleasure of trying is the crushed ancho chile pepper.  This is the time of year, when the weather dips, and I find myself craving a bit of extra heat in my dishes, temperature-wise as well as taste-wise.  The crushed ancho chile pepper is a mild to medium strength hotness with a tinge of sweet to it, that complements many dishes without overpowering any of the other flavors.  It's particularly good for mixing up pasta sauces and tomato and meat-based dishes.  Another plus is it helps kick the flavor up a notch when mixed with other spices in the 'tsp spices' collection.  The various spices in the 'tsp spices' collection are made to be mixed and matched as well.  The crushed ancho chile pepper will help intensify the flavor of the other spices that it's mixed with.



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TSP Spices are very conveniently packed organic spices that can be carried with you to anywhere.  Each packet is a measured portion of 1 teaspoon. These packets arrived in an individual tin box, which was then presented in a beautiful box presentation box. The individual tins are so easy to stack neatly in the cupboard.
TSP spices presentation looks as good as they taste. The silver tins themselves protect the spices from light and air and the boxes help them to stay together in neat sets.
Each packet is already measured into one-teaspoon.  There are 12 packets in each tin. All I had to do was cut the side and pour the content into the the pan.  The tins I got from TSP Spices have a "best before" date of August, 2012, which gives me over two years of freshness.
I received the Organic sweet heat package, it contains true cinnamon and crushed ancho chile pepper.  I found both spices to be fresher and brighter, with a gentle taste that lingers for a while, in a good way. The cinnamon was smoky sweet, with a light delicate flavor.   The ancho chile had a subtle bite with a medium heat.
Everyone thinks of using cinnamon and ancho chile pepper in sweet dishes.  Being more of a savory person,  I decided to use them in a savory dish. I made a Chicken stir fry.  I eliminated my usual spices and replaced them with one teaspoon of cinnamon and one teaspoon of ancho chile pepper, which I cooked in the pan with onions and peppers.
The spices made the dish so delicious and fresh tasting.  I will be using these spices in the future when I have guests over, unless I have used them all up beforehand!

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Organic True Cinnamon (ground):  This is the best cinnamon that I've ever tasted.  It has a wonderful, sweet fragrance and taste.  Many times the flavor of cinnamon is very bitter & dry tasting.  However, the Organic True Cinnamon has a mild, sweet, all-natural taste.  I appreciate the true organic nature of this ground cinnamon.  It has a true ground wholesomeness to it.  Also, how convenient to have it pre-measured into teaspoon packages that ensures freshness.  Thank you tspspices.com and Peachy for this opportunity to savor this unique, one-of-a-kind Organic, Ground True Cinnamon flavor! 
  
Organic Ancho Chili (crushed):  I really like the idea of individually packaged and pre-measured spices.  So many times when you purchase a container of a particular spice, it loses all it's flavor by the time you get half way through the container.  These are so convenient.  The Ancho Chili has a very mild, almost sweet flavor.  I recently used it to flavor my turkey chili and was pleasantly surprised with the finished product.  The flavor of the Ancho Chili gave the turkey chili a mild, sweet and smokey flavor.  It was a big hit!  Both spices were so delicious that I would love to try them all!

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Whom You Know recommends the true cinnamon and crushed ancho chile pepper by Tsp spices!!!
Ideal for hostess gifts or holiday giving, Sweet Heat lends “spice enlightenment” to any food-lover’s kitchen.  All tins from tsp spices feature 12 one-teaspoon packets. Sold individually or collected into elegant sets, tsp spices are the perfect food gift – for yourself or your foodie friends. 
Check out www.tspspices.com to order Sweet Heat and other collections, as well as for spice information and recipes, including Sweet Heat Brownies.

“The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices,” the new book by company founders Sara Engram and Katie Luber, is also available at www.tspspices.com and from booksellers everywhere. 

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